Just imagine all sense of reason deserted you and, recession be damned, you forked out $710 for one month's supply of Euoko W-31 Extreme White Concentrate Ampoules. Then let's just suspend disbelief and say that you loved the results and those magical ampoules seemed to be something you just couldn't live without. Your new beauty habit would cost you $8,520 a year!

What could possibly justify paying nearly the equivalent of an individual annual health insurance policy on an anti-aging cream? I have hunted high and low, but Euoko seems to think that people don't care about product details even when they are spending $710. Personally, I want to know every ingredient before I stump up seven bucks. So far, I have only been able to track down the "active" ingredients: Microalga Dunaliella Salina, Arbutin PML, Polypeptide-WX, Tyrostat-9, Kalahari Watermelon, Alpha Arbutin, Hyaluronic Acid, RETexture, Ceramide IIIA, Retinol Cylasphere, Exclusive Marine Absorption Base, AA2G Vitamin C. However, since they are really what you'd be paying for, it's worth a closer look.

They fall into two camps. The first camp consists of ingredients that only seem to exist in Euoko Land. One of these is polypeptide-WX, which I can't find anywhere else but in references to Euoko products. Taking what Euoko says at face value, it seems to be a peptide that inhibits tyrosinase and so provides a similar action to the arbutin (see below). We'll have to be equally trusting about something called RETexture and the "exclusive marine absorption base". Then there is tyrostat-9 - non-existent except on Planet Euoko, where we are told that "this innovative natural ingredient is extracted from wild crafted Field Dock (from the Rumex species) in the North Canadian Prairies". Tyrosat-9 is also a tyrosinase inhibitor.

The second camp has a handful of good but unexceptional anti-aging and skin whitening ingredients - a search on Truth In Aging will reveal that they are in many of the products we have reviewed. Dunaliella salina is a micro alga that is found in sea salt fields, where it produces lots of carotenoids to protect it from intense light. It is one of the main commercial sources of beta-carotene and research has shown that it is much more potent antioxidant than synthetic sources of carotene. Arbutin is a natural inhibitor of tyrosinase, an enzyme that forms melanin. In one of its manifestations here, the arbutin is encapsulated in a special liposome called plurilamellar multivesicular liposomes (PML), this is supposed to disperse the ingredient in a thin layer so that it is more easily absorbed by the skin. There is also ceramide lll, which protects the natural skin barrier, moisture retaining hyaluronic acid and vitamin A.

On balance, I feel as if we're being asked to hand over $710 to drink the Euoko kool aid.

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April 27, 2011

by Sunny D

What a complete ripoff! I like to research beauty/"anti" aging products before I purchase. I happened to run across this website and article researching pinocolyl-Trans-retinoic and I added this site to my favs. NO anti-aging product is worth $710 a pop! It is sad that women think a product has efficacy because it is sold in Neiman Marcus for $710. Savvy consumers who research products are able to purchase products similar to Euoko and with the extra money are able to go to a spa or donate to charity.

June 29, 2010

by Susan Dent

Just a note. Polypeptide-WX is otherwise known as Nonapeptide 1, and Tyrostat-9 is field dock (Rumex Occidentalis). These, along with alpha arbutin, are available together in way, way cheaper products by Mychelle and Enpointe.

I have the cleanser, toner, and mask from the Euoko W range. Unfortunately, I got quite seriously ill after ordering them, and they are still unopened in my cabinet. If they are still OK after such a long period, I'll try using them before I venture into the Mychelle brightening product.

BTW, None of this research of mine would have been possible without lengthy reading here at TIA... I can't say strongly enough how much I appreciate this site! (Which I found by accident, after reading something sarcastic on the Melbourne Dermatology website.)

November 24, 2009

by Susan Dent

Hi Marta and everyone,

Because I just ordered the more sensibly priced products from the Euoko W line, I thought I'd ask them for the full ingredients list of the Extreme Whitening Concentrate. They sent me this:

"As requested, the following is the full ingredient list for W31, one of the most popular products in the W Series:

I don't have this product (can't afford it!) but I would be curious to hear from anyone who has used it.

June 25, 2009

by christina

Many ingredients (rumex, arbutin, vitamin c, etc.) are just a bunch of skin lighteners that can be found on cheaper and trusted beauty products. D. Salina and watermelon are natural uv protectors.
Great, could help in pigmentation problems, but not that impressive for $710.

June 18, 2009

by Niall

It's sad to see Euoko going in this direction. I remember not even two years ago they were offering intriguing products at sensible price points. Then I think they were sold to another company, which unfortunately is taking them down the road of super-duper high priced products. I notice they are sold in Neiman-Marcus now, so that probably explains that phenomenon.

I also thought Shiseido had a patent on arbutin, but I'm seeing it in lots of other products now. Anyway, I can't see that the ampoules will do anything that a Shiseido product wouldn't do for one tenth the price.